Key holder



26, 1938. T A PEACQCK 2,115,278

KEY HOLDER Filed Sept. 10, 1936 If A. Paa aach A TORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED TATE-S PATENT ;2,'115,27s i I KEY HOLDER I 'Theod oi-e Ai'iPeacock, Birmingham; Ala.

Application September 10, 1936, Serial No. 100,091 r 3 Claims.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in key holders which are designed to prevent the turning of keys in locked doors and thereby to insure against the unlocking of a door from the outside.

My present invention embodies a key holder formed of bent spring wire having an elongated intermediate loop which will permit it to be mounted astride the shank of any door handle and to be sufficiently adjustable vertically thereon to be readily engaged in, and disengaged from, the eye of a key inserted in the look below the handle, the key holder having at its upper end a conveniently designed grip by means of which the 7 hand of the person grasping the knob can readily raise or lower the key holder, and having at its lower end an arrow head type of lock adapted to readily center itself in the eye of the key and by a down thrust on the holder to be contracted until it slips through and locks below the eye in the key.

The advantages of such a key holder are directly attributable to the facility with which it may be engaged in or disengaged from the eye of a key, which is of prime importance in determining the market value and utility of such a-device.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts which are hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which:--

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation'of' a door lock showing my improved key holder mounted in operating position with reference to the knob shank and key.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail front View of the key holder placed with its arrow head centered in and resting on the eye of a key shown in dotted lines in which position it is ready to be interlocked with the key by thrusting the holder downwardly.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

My improved key holder is made up of suitable spring metal having any desirable finish which is bent and shaped to provide a top loop or eye 4 adapted to form a convenient grip or handle for manipulating the holder. Below the neck of the eye, the sides of the holder flare outwardly at 5 and then continue in parallelism to form the straight sides 6 which are similar and at their lower ends are inclined inwardly at the portions marked 1 and then bent parallel but in closer relationship to form the portions 8. Each portion 8 terminates at its lower end in a sharp outbend 9 beyond which the free end of each holder leg is bent inwardly at I to a point where its end will normally overlap the end of the corresponding portion In of the other leg and form thus at the lower end of the holder a head having an arrow head design with substantially horizontal offset shoulders 9 connecting its portions II] with the portions 8. The normal space between the leg portions 8 is slightly more than the normal transverse width of the eye H of any ordinary door key l2 and the spring inherent in the holder itself will expand the sides 8 after the head is contracted to pass through the key eye and will hold the shoulder portions 9 against, and interlocked with, the ends of the key eye. It is contemplated that the holder will be ordinarily mounted on the shank l3 of the door handle M, and that the sides 6 of the holder are spaced so as to permit it to work up and down over the shank with entire freedom, and have suflicientlength for the holder head to be sprung into engagement in the key eye for any ordinary lock construction.

In utilizing my improved key holder it will be understood that its open end is spread apart to permit it to he slipped over the shank of the knob and when so mounted it will normally hang vertically if the key is not in place, but if the key is in place the holder may hang idle at one side of the key or it may be engaged in the key eye with the lock bolt retracted. When it is desired to fasten the lock, the key is set with the lock bolt protracted and the holder is grasped and lifted and its arrow head is dropped into the eye of the key which then stands horizontal. Thereupon by an easily applied down thrust the holders arrow head, which will naturally center itself in the eye of the key, can be forced through such eye until its shoulders 9 pass below it, whereupon the holder sides 7 8 will spring outwardly against the ends of the key eye and hold the shoulders 9 in position to engage under each end of the key to prevent the key being turned so as to retract the bolt and unlock the door. The down thrust can be readily applied to the holder by the fingers of ones hand while grasping the knob, and the sides 6 are alike accessible to be grasped and compressed so as to permit the holder head to be withdrawn from the lock, or this can be readily done by pressing the sides 8 from below the knob and lifting the holder.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I c1aim'is:

1'. A key holder composed of spring metal stock bent at its center to form legs which are similarly but reversely shaped to provideupper leg portions widely spaced to receive a knob shank between them and elongated to allow theholder to have substantial vertical adjustment relative to said shank, straight elongated lower leg portions more closely spaced andgadapted to be received in the eye of a key disposed in locked position below the knob and to have spring engagement with the ends of the key eye, an outwardly bent lock shoulder provided at the free end of each lower leg portion and adapted to spring into position to engage under the key at the ends of its eye when the holder assumes operating position, the tip of the legs below said shoulders being bent in sharply to form a V-shape bottom end for the holder.

2. A key holder according to claim 1, in which the straight lower leg portions assumesubstantially parallel position and its tips assume overlapped position, when the holder is at rest. 3. A key holder according to claim 1, in which the straight lower leg portions are elongated to cover the range of distance between centers of the knob shank and key and the shoulders at their lower ends are bent out substantially at right angles to form a positive interlock to resist the turning of a key when, the holder is engaged therewith and to positively prevent the disengagement of the holder without the compressing of its side legs by some other means than the key itself.

THEODORE A. PEACOCK. 

